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Shawn Turner

Shawn Turner is the Director of Communication at the Center for a New American Security.

Mr. Turner previously served as the Chair of the Information Operations Department at the Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security (DMGS). Prior to joining DMGS, he was a senior national security communication executive in the U.S. government. His positions included Deputy White House Press Secretary for National Security, Director of Communication for National Intelligence at the office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and Press Secretary for Foreign Affairs for the National Security Council (NSC).

At ODNI, Mr. Turner was responsible for managing and coordinating all internal and external communication on behalf of the 17 agencies and components that make up the U.S. Intelligence Community. At the White House and the NSC, he was the principal spokesperson for U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He also helped develop the U.S. government’s approach tocommunicating intelligence reform in 2014.

Mr. Turner is a regular contributing on-air national security analyst with CNN where offers expert analysis on a range of foreign policy, defense, and intelligence issues. He also advises U.S. government agencies on effective approaches to risk, organizational and crisis communication challenges. He is the co-author of “Best Practices in Risk Communication for National Defense” published in The Handbook of Science and Technology for Homeland Security.

Mr. Turner is a current member of the Board of Advisors for the National Security Agency, and the Executive Board of Advisors for the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law.

In recent years Mr. Turner was named one of Washington DC’s top decision makers by the National Journal (2013), honored with the Intelligence Community Leadership Award (2015), and in 2016, he was awarded the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award for outstanding career accomplishments and exemplary service to the nation.

Prior to his civilian career, Mr. Turner served 21 years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. He received his B.A. degree in communication studies from Texas State University and an M.A. degree in communication from George Mason University